Cheques totalling £18,500 were presented to 20 charities last Wednesday by the organisers of the Emergency Services Show.

The show, most recently held at Hullavington airfield in September 2011, is run by a volunteer committee from Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service, Wiltshire Police, Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS) and the Highways Agency.

Last year’s event attracted a record number of visitors who came from across the region to see the array of emergency service vehicles and demonstrations on offer.

All profits are ploughed into charitable donations to support organisations with links to the emergency services.

Cheques from 2011 were presented as follows: * The Fire Fighters Charity £2,250; * Bobby Van Trust £2,250; * The Ambulance Service Benevolent Fund £2,250; * SWIFT Medics £2,250; * WILSAR (Wiltshire Search & Rescue)£1,500; * British Red Cross fire and emergency support service £1,000; * Victim Support £750; * SARAID (Search and Rescue Assistance in Disasters)£750; * Wiltshire Air Ambulance £500; * Great Western Air Ambulance £500; * Cricklade Fire Cadets £500; * Ludgershall Fire Cadets £500; * Wessex SERV (blood bikes)£500; * Freewheelers EVS (blood bikes)£500; * SPLASH (supporting young people)£500; * Street survival bags initiative £500; * Fly2Help £500; * Wootton Bassett Sea Cadets £500; * Casualties Union £250; * Cherhill Scouts £250.

Chief Fire Officer Simon Routh-Jones from Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service; Chief Constable Patrick Geenty from Wiltshire Police; Neil le Chevalier, Executive Officer at Great Western Ambulance Service; Nicky Potts, Head of On Road - South at the Highways Agency; and the High Sheriff of Wiltshire, Lady Phillips, were guests at the presentation, together with representatives of the charities.

Because of operational commitments around the Olympics, there will be no Emergency Services Show in 2012, but planning has already started for the event in 2013.